Amber's Thoughts

This is a tight little puzzle of a story, every step precisely described so that the reader feels what it’s like to be Katla, the free-lance assassin, completing a job. Halm has the remarkable ability to engage the reader. His research is thorough. This is an unusual story, and more disturbing than any of the other Katla books or short stories, because of the method she uses. It’s not as complex as some of the other stories, since it shows her in fewer contexts, with the result that fewer facets of her character are explored. While this story is well crafted, I’d tell a newcomer to the series who wanted to read a short story before the novels to start with Aconite Attack, rather than Locked Room; it’s a more representative sample. But don’t skip this one! You'll want to read it nonstop.